Signboard



Jan. 8 1924. 1,479,987

. I FRASER- S IGNBOARD 7 Filed June 2. 1921 P AITIE\N\TISI*.=/ 5

'L VE TUR "TU? mwuu Patented Jan. 8, 1924.

U NI TED S TA TIES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM J. FRASER, OF TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA.

"SIGNB CARD.

Application filed June 2, 1921.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. FRASER, of the city of Toronto, in the county of York, Province of Ontario, Canada, a sub- .:ject of the King of Great Britain, have inter, or various symbols -arrangedin any -de-- sired order, and myobject is to devise a simple and cheap construction adapted to hold the letters firmly so that they retain their position accurately even when the sign is inclined forwardly or shaken or knocked down. Afurther objectis to devise a sign the face of which may be finished directly on the material of which the board is composed without the use of covering fabric.

I attain my object by means of the constructions hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a front viewofasign board constructed in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section of part of a sign board constructed in accordance with my invention; and

Figs. 3, 4 and 5 similar views showing modifications.

In the drawings like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures.

1 is a frame adapted to contain the sign board proper, provided with a back 2, which may be retained in position in any desired manner. The sign board proper is provided with grooves 3, which may be formed as shown in Fig. 3 by channeling an integral piece of board 5 or other suitable material, but which are preferably formed as shown in Fig. 2 by holding a plurality of separate strips in spaced relationship.

In each groove is secured a resilient strip 4, and it is these strips 4 which serve to maintain the separate pieces of the board in spaced relationship. The strips 4 must, to

be effective, possess certain characteristics, viz, resiliency, a certain amount of flexibility, and preferably a somewhat smooth not too soft surface. Ifind that leather or some of the leather substitutes on the market known as leatherette or fabrikoid will Serial No. 474,550.

answer the purpose -10f my invention satisfactorily.

In the construction shown in Fig. 2, the strips aredoubledlengthwise on themselves, the folds lying adjacent the outer sides of the slots, while the inner edges are secured in position in the slots by any suitable means such, for example, as by 'glue. The

result of this construction is that the metal symbol possessing a mearwardly extending tangor projection 6 may beheld in place :on

the board by having the tang pressed between oneof the strips and thewadjacen't side of the groove.

It will be readily understood that i the mode of operation of theconstruction shown in Fig. 3 is substantially "the same as that shown in Fig. It is not essential that the sign board proper be made of wood,'as simi- 'lar grooves may readily be formed by cori rugating an integral metal sheet as shown in Fig. 5, orseparate hollow strips of metal maybe formed as indicated in Fig. 4.

While the resilient strips4 are preferably formed of leather or leather substitute as described, they might in some cases be formed o'f very thin sheetwmetal as indicated at 4- in Fig. 4, the edges of the strips being turned under the edges of the adjacent strips or sections of the sign board proper. As a further modification a piece of fiattened tubing formed of rubber compound may be employed as shown at 4 in Fig. 4. A single resilient strip, that is, one which is not folded on itself, is indicated at 4 in Fig. 5, but the preferred form is the folded strip of leather or leather substitute as hereinbefore described.

lVhen the sign board proper is formed of separate pieces, it is preferable that means he provided. to press the strips towards one another so that the frictional resistance to the introduction or removal of the tangs 6 from their positions in the grooves may be varied as may be necessary. I therefore prefer to provide adjusting screws 7 which are screwed through either the top or bottom member of the frame 1 and which press against the upper strip of the sign board proper. These screws may be formed as screw eyes and thus serve as means for suspending the board.

It is also advisable when the board is formed of separate strips to provide a rod 17, which passes through the strips of the board intermediate their ends, thus holding the strips in alinement, preventing the efiects of warping becoming visible on the face of the board.

From the above description it will be seen that the face of the board may be given any desired finish, and that the rounded edges of the resilient strips which show at the merely necessary to replace that particular strip and not to replace a large surface as with signs at present on the market.

What I claim as my invention is 1. A sign board having a plurality of transverse grooves formed in its face; and a resilient strip positioned in each groove free of its sides and the face of the board so that a projection on a letter or symbol may be pressed between either side of said strip and the adjacent side of the groove.

2. A sign board constructed as set forth in claim -1 in which the resilient strips are each formed of a strip doubled upon itself, the folds lying adjacent the front sides of the grooves.

3. A sign board constructed as set forth in claim 1 in which the grooves for the reception of the resilient strips are provided by forming the board of a plurality of separate bars which are held in spaced relationship by the said strips.

4:. A sign board comprising aframe; a plurality of transverse bars; slidably supported therein; a resilient strip secured in place between each pair of bars so that a projection on a letter or symbol may be pressed between one side of said strip and the side of the adjacent strip; and means on the frame for pressing the strips towards one another.

5. A sign board constructed as set forth in claim 1 in which the outer edge of each strip is rounded.

6. A sign board constructed as set forth in claim 1 in which the resilient strips are each formed of a strip of material having substantially the characteristics in respects of flexibility, resilience and surface hardness of leatherette, said strips being each doubled upon itself, the folds lying adjacent the outer sides of the slots.

7. A sign board constructed as set forth in claim 1 in which the grooves for the reception of the resilient strips are provided by forming the board of a plurality of separate bars which are held in spaced relationship by the said strips and provided with an alining rod extending through holes in the said strips.

Signed at Toronto this 26th day of May, 1921.

WILLIAM J. FRASER. 

